Tube-filling apparatus.



W. J. NOON.

TUBE FILLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2,19!5.

I 1 ,'7, Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

Inventor 1; ram ow TUBE-FILLING APPARATUS.

rioaesr.

Application filed April 2, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,. WILLIAM J. NooN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and use ful Improvements in Tube-Filling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tube filling apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for filling paper tubes with tobacco to form cigarettes.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and neat collapsible apparatus especially adapted for home use to fill one or a plurality of previously formed tubes of paper, or other suitable material, with tobacco to form cigarettes.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means to support the tubes of paper while they are being filled.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for facilitating the placing of the tubes of paper upon said holders.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention with the same shown mounted within a case constructed to contain it and by means of which the apparatus may be conveyed from place to place. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus and case taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. In this figure the apparatus is shown in full lines in its operative position, the dotted lines in said figure illustrating said apparatus in its collapsed or inoperative position. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the hopper and taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a detail sectional view taken on the line 1- 1 10f Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail transverse section of one of the slides adapted to support one of the cigarette tubes during the filling thereof. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3, illustrating the manner in which the supporting frame for the slides is attached to the body of the apparatus. Fig. 7 is a detail longitudinal section of one of the conductors for filling material with the insert adapted to be placed therein and constructed and ar- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1216.

Serial No. 18,716.

ranged to guide a tube of paper over the end of said conductor.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 10 is a hopper, which may be constructed of sheet metal, or any other suitable material, and adapted to contain filling material such as tobacco. The lower portion of the hopper 10 is corrugated or in other words divided by a series of partitions 11 into a plurality of compartments 12. The bottoms of said compartments are preferably semicylindrical. A plurality of tubular conductors 13 are connected with said hopper 10 in alinement with said compartments. Rotary helical feed devices, preferably screws 14, extend longitudinally of said tubular conductors and into said compartments, the ends 15 of said screws being journaled to rotate in the rear partition 19 of the hopper 10 with said ends protruding beyond said partition and to which are preferably attached crank arms 16. The free ends of the crank arms 16 are connected together preferably by a link 17. A handle 18 is pivotally attached to said link and constitutes means whereby said link may be moved to impart a simultaneous rotary movement to all of said feed screws 14. The feed screws 14 extend substantially to the outer ends of the filling conductors, which conductors are preferably cylindrical in form and so constructed that they may support a tube of sheet material, preferably paper as at A. The tube A is formed and glued previous to its being slipped over the conductor 13. After being placed upon said conductor the outer end thereof is closed by folding, as shown at 20, Fig. 2. The tube of paper A is preferably loosely supported by the conductor 13. Thus as the filling material is advanced by the screws 14 into the tube, the tube A will be advanced or slipped longitudinally of the conductor 13 and gradually filled. It is essential that during this operation a predetermined degree of pressure or resistance be exerted against the folded end of said tube, otherwise the pressure of the filling material against said end wouldcause the same to burst open as it is not stuck in its folded position. For this purpose a slide 21 is arranged adjacent each of said conductors and substantially equal length thereto.- An abutment 22 is arranged upon e'ach-ofsaid-slides 21 adjacent to and transversely of the outer ends of sald filling conductors and against which the ends of the paper tubes abut. The upper portions of said abutments project over the conductors 13 as at 23 to properly retain the end of the tube within said slide.

Side pieces 24, 2 1 are provided upon the slide 21 extending substantially to the top of the conductor 13, which side pieces prevent the eent to thehopper 10 to a crosspiece 26 constituting a portion of a rectangular frame 27 Said crosspiece 26 is pivotally and detachably secured to the under side of the hopper 10 inresilient hangers 28. A stifiener 29 is arranged transversely of the sev- 30 i guides 31, 31 arranged adjacent opposlte i I filling being compactly placed therein. The outer ends of the slides 21 are provided with eral pairs of guide rods to more rigidly secure said rods. The outer ends of said rods are left free, but normally rest upon another crossbar adjacent the outer free end of the frame 27. Each of the slides 21 is preferably provided with a pair of looped ends of said slides and through which the pair of rods which support said slides are inserted.

' The rods 25 are arranged so that there is at all times more or less tendency to spread apart or separate from each other, thus providing a yielding frictional contact between said rods and the sides of the loops 31 which confine said rods. The amount of such spreading tendency may be varied by bending said rods toward or away from each other, thus as the slides are moved longitudinally of theconductor '13 the resistance thereon will produce a drag andinsure the openings '32 through which filling material, which 'by. chance dropsin said slides, may be removed.

The free end ofthe frame 27 is provided I z with a pivoted support 33 which is arranged tonormally retain said frame substantially parallel :with said tubular conductors in order that the slides 21 may properly guide the tubes during the filling thereof. The support 33 ispreferably a rectangular frame .of wire, the upper side of which constitutes the outer cross bar 30 of the frame 27. Eyes 3 1 are formed on saidcross bar 30 into which project the inturned ends 35 of i the side members 36:-for the frame 27 It has been hereinbefore stated that the tube filling apparatus embodied in this invention is especially adapted for home use, or in other words, said device is portable. Therefore in order that the device may be better adapted for such use a case 38 has been provided within which the apparatus may be entirely contained, said case having a cover 39 pivotally attached thereto.

When the apparatus is to be operated it is mounted upon a pair of upright rods 4-0, 40. The rods 40 are adapted to be detachably arranged in sockets 41 secured pref erably to one end of the case 38 and protruding a substantial distance above the upper edge thereof. The hopper 10 is also provided at opposite ends thereof with sockets 42 which are adapted to receive the upper or protruding portions of said rods 40 and thus support the apparatus in its operative position, with the operating handle1Sthereof upon the outside of said ease in a convenient position to be operated. Vhen the apparatus is mounted upon said rods the supporting member33 of the frame 27 is arranged to engage a stop 13 secured. to the bottom of the case 38 to properly position said stop and thus hold the guide rods and frame 27 in its proper position. A pan 4A is arranged in said case beneath the filling conductors to catch all the loose tobacco or filling which happens to fall from the ends of said conductors during the filling operation.

When the apparatus is not in use it is lifted from the rods 40 and placed in the case 38 in the position illustrated in dotted lines Fig. 2, the rods 40 being withdrawn from the socket 11 and placed in suitable receptacles provided therefor in said case, thus permitting the cover 39 to be closed.

It sometimes happens that the supply of filling material may be nearly exhausted and there is not enough to operate the apparatus at its full capacity, thus making it necessary to confine what filling remains in said hopper within a limited number of the compartments in said hopper. For this purpose a partition 45 has been provided which is slidably and detachably arranged upon the upper edge of the hopper and projeets downwardly and engages the side of one of the partitions 11 thereby confining the tobacco within the compartment or compartments desired.

The operation of the apparatus hereinbefore specifically described is as follows: Assuming the same to be in its operative position upon the rods 40, asindieated in full lines in Fig. 2 with the hopper thereof filled with filling material, the slides 21 are first moved to the outer ends of the guide rods, as shown in the upper part of Fig. 1. The support 33 may then be withdrawn from the stop 43 permitting the frame 27 to be e-Li lowered about the axis of the cros'spiece 26, thus leaving the filling conductors 13 freely accessible. A pointed plug or insert 46, see Figs. 1 and 7, is provided with a reduced stem 47 adapted to fit the outer ends of the filling conductors 13. This plug is then inserted in each of said conductors and the paper tube Ais slipped on to said conductors over said plug, which is large enough in diameter to prevent the ends of said tubes from catching upon the ends of said conductor. A portion of the tube is left projecting beyond the end of the conductor and said projecting end is then creased and folded to close said tube. After the desired number of tubes havebeen placed upon their respectiveconductors, the slides 21 are moved along the guide rods until the abutments 22 of said slides engage the creased or folded ends of said tubes, previous to which the frame 27 has been elevated tothe position illustrated in full lines Fig. 2. The feed screws 14 are then set into operation by operating the handle 18, whereupon the filling material will be advanced from the hop per 10 along the several filling conductors and into the tubes supported thereon, causing said tubes to be moved longitudinally of said conductors with their respective guiding members or slides 21 until the desired amount of tobacco or filling material has been injected into said tube. The filled tubes may then be removed from their supporting slides and the operation repeated.

" To provide sufficient drag on the slides 21,

in order that the filling may be suitably pressed therein, the guide rods 25 are bent outwardly relatively to each other the desired amount to produce sufficient friction against the loops 31 of the slides 21.. When a sufficient number of cigarettes have been filled the apparatus is placed within the case, as shown in dotted lines Fig. 2, the rods 40 withdrawn from the socket 41 and the cover closed.

Having thus described my invention what 1 claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. A tube filling apparatus having, in combination, a conductor for the filling material, said conductor being constructed and arranged to hold a tube of sheet material, means for advancing the filling material along said conductor and into said tube and to move said tube longitudinally of said conductor, a movable support for said tube arranged beneath said conductor and independent thereof, and a pair of resilient guide members for said movable support substantially equal in length to the combined length of said conductor and the tube to be filled adapted to retard the movements thereof during the filling of said tube.

2. In a tube filling apparatus, a hopper, a series of parallelly arranged partitions, at

l ill,

thebottom of said hopper adapted to subdivide a portion thereof into a plurality of compartments, the bottoms of said compartments being substantially semicylindrical, an adjustable partition in said hopper adapted to separate a predetermined number of compartments from the other compartments in said hopper, a conductor for filling material connected with each of said compartments, and means constructed and arranged to advance filling material from said hoppers through said conductors into said tubes.

3. A tube filling apparatus having, in combination, a hopper, a conductor for the filling material connected with said hopper, said conductor being constructed and arranged to support a previously formed tube of sheet material, a pair of parallelly disposed rods secured to said hopper substantially parallel with said conductor, the outer ends of said rods being free and adapted to permit said rods to be deflected towardand away from each other, means to support the free ends of said rods, and a slide mounted on said rods to move longitudinally of said conductors, said slide being adapted to guide said tubes during the filling thereof and to be yieldingly retarded during said filling by the deflection of said rods.

1. A tube filling apparatus having, in combination, a hopper, a plurality of filling conductors connected with said hopper adjacent the bottom thereof, said conductors being constructed and arranged to support tubes of sheet material, means for advancing the filling material from said hopper through said conductors and into said tubes, a frame pivotally attached to said hopper adjacent said conductors, means for temporarily supporting the free end of said frame, a plurality of pairs of rods permanently attached to said frame adjacent the pivot thereof, a pair of said rods being arranged adjacent each of said conductors, the outer ends of said rods being supported by the free end of said frame, and a slide mounted to move longitudinally of each pair of said rods, said slides being constructed and arranged to guide said tubes longitudinally of said conductors during the filling of said tubes, said rods being adapted to yieldingly retard the movements of said slides during said filling operation.

5. A tube filling apparatus, having, in combination, a hopper, a plurality of tubular filling conductors connected adjacent the bottom of said hopper, said conductors being constructed and arranged to support tubes of sheet material, means for advancing the filling material from said hopper through said conductors and into said tubes, a frame pivotally attached to said hopper adjacent said conductors, aplurality of pairs of rods permanently attached to said frame adjacent the pivot thereof, a pair of said -rods being arranged adjacent each of said conductors, the outer ends of said rods being supported by the free end of said frame,

a slide mounted to move longitudinally of each pair of said rods, said slides being constructed and arranged to guide said tubes longitudinally of said conductors during the filling of said tubes, said rods being adapted toyieldingly retard the movements of said slides during said filling operation, a support pivoted at the free end of said frame adapted to normally retain said frame substantially parallel with said tubular conductors, said support being adapted to be moved to allow said frame to be lowered and to withdraw said slides from said. conductors.

6. A .tube filling. apparatus having, in combination, a conductor for the filling material, said conductor being constructed and arranged to hold a tube of sheet material, means for advancing the filling material along said conductor, and into said tube and to move said tube longitudinally of'said con-' end of said conductor and adapted to swing downwardly with relation thereto to move said movable support away from said eon- 13o ductor, and a support for said apparatus adapted to provide space beneath said conductor to permit of the pivotal movements of said guide members.

7. A tube filling apparatus having, in combination, a hopper, a conductor for the filling material connected with said hopper and adapted to support a previously formed tube of sheet material, a support upon which said hopper-andsaid conductor are adapted to be mounted, means for detachably securing said hopper and said conductor upon said support with said conductor substantially horizontally disposed, said support forming a substantial space beneath said conductor, a pair of guide members pivotally secured to said hopper substantially parallel with and beneath said conductor, adapted to be swung downwardly into said space, means for supporting the free ends of said guide members, and a slide mounted on said guide members to move longitudinally of said conductors, said slide being adapted to guidesaid tube during the filling thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of a subscribing Wit- SYDNEY E. TAFT.

Copies of thispatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G, 

